To GrandMother's house we go (1992)

When they overhear their stressed-out single mom (Northern Exposure's Cynthia Geary) calling them "a handful," twins Julie and Sarah decide to give mom a break and go to grandma's for Christmas. So they stuff their backpacks and stow away on a city bus, beginning an odyssey that will first find them in a delivery van operated by Roy Rogers-obsessed driver Eddie (soap opera veteran J. Eddie Peck). Then a karate chop to Eddie's head later, they're at the mercy of a happily married pair of thieves (Rhea Perlman, Jerry Van Dyke) and, ultimately, a team of spooked runaway horses posing as reindeer. Luckily Eddie already has a crush on Mom, who manages his favorite mini-mart, and together the pair track down the missing twins, who, meanwhile, are having the ride of their lives. The Olsen twins are in their Full House bloom in this TV movie, which means their brand of innocuous brattiness is still more charming than annoying. Perlman and Van Dyke get to ham it up as lovable criminals, and Geary and Peck find G-rated romance once he adjusts to the idea that his mini-mart sweetie has kids and he learns to share his Lotto winnings.

Double, Double Toil And Trouble (1993)

The plot sends 7-year-olds Lynn and Kelly on a Halloween night mission to get a magical moonstone from their evil aunt who has cast a spell on their other aunt. Fun for little kids, but also enjoyable for older fans, it's a good movie to pull out around Halloween time. It's one of tho best Olsen's movies because the stronger recognition of the other characters--they really get a more substantial role in the movie than the surrounding characters in some of the other movies. In this film, you'll fall in love with the endearing gravedigger, the money-hungry yet lovable Mr. N, and the supportive, "take charge" Oscar the Clown. And then you've got the girls' parents--who, for once, actually act like parents. Gentle, loving, good people--and yet they have problems of their own that they must get through as a family. Now you start to get the feel of a real movie with a real plot. Too many of Mary-Kate and Ashley's movies either have them with single moms or dads (which there is nothing wrong with at all, but it got a little repetitive with the Olsens) or completely up-in-the-clouds parents who were practically at their feet doting on them and giving them everything, thus showing the viewer exactly what life is NOT like. This movie is one exception where the casting of the girls' parents is very strong and realistic.

How The West Was Fun (1994)

A very enjoyable Olsen movie with a good storyline and characters. 8-year-olds Jessica and Susie talk their single father into taking a visit with them to a dude ranch, upon the request of their sweet grandmother Nattie. When the girls learn that Nattie's cold and selfish son Bart plans on turning the place into a theme park, it's up to them to save the ranch. It's a very heartwarming and entertaining movie that captures the girls at some of their best acting years.

Little Rascals (1994)

Kids may enjoy the slapstick of this modern reworking of the old Our Gang comedies, but parents who grew up watching them on TV (or grandparents who saw them at theaters) will wonder why anyone would want to be involved in this pathetic remake. Directed by Penelope Spheeris, the film takes look-alike kids and casts them as Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, and the rest, minus any sense of what made the old Hal Roach comedies funny. Instead of kids being kids, these are kids doing shtick while recycling such old bits as the He-Man Woman Haters Club, the kids' go-cart race, and Spanky and Alfalfa dressing as girls. Devoid of charm or wit.In this films Mary-Kate and Ashley only play a secondary role.

It Takes Two (1995)

This first theatrical outing for the ubiquitous Olsen twins is their take on The Parent Trap meets The Prince and the Pauper. One plays a foster child under the care of a single social worker (Kirstie Alley) whose marital status prevents her from adopting her favorite charge. The other is the neglected daughter of a "bazillionaire" (Steve Guttenberg), who's about to marry a gold-digging socialite (played nastily by Jane Sibbett, Ross's first ex-wife on TV's Friends). The foster kid comes to a charity camp abutting the rich girl's summer estate and--presto--the identical strangers meet, hatch a plan to solve both their dilemmas, and switch identities. Directed by Andy Tennant (Ever After), this PG-rated film features some decent G-rated chemistry between Alley and Guttenberg and surprisingly uncloying performances by Mary-Kate and Ashley.

Billboard Dad (1998)

It's the Olsen twins to the rescue once again in their straight-to-video release, Billboard Dad. With Venice, California, serving as a Bohemian backdrop, the preteen queens of the dead-mom genre scheme to find their widowed father a girlfriend by turning a Hollywood billboard into a personal ad. Breezy predictability ensues: Dad gets thousands of letters and dates a series of progressively weirder women before bumping into Ms. Right. Since Dad's a successful sculptor, true love destroys the angst behind his profitable art. As his agent tries to drive a wedge between the lovebirds, the twins become unwitting accomplices. All of this just sets the stage, really, for Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen to do their thing--they are way cool, fashionable, and mature beyond their preteen years--with their equally hip friends, who have a drama of their own unfolding on the diving team. Nothing truly unexpected happens, but it doesn't matter.

Passport To Paris (1999)

Resistance is futile! The Olsen Twins are everywhere, and you better get used to it. Now they're not only taking over the U.S.; they've moved on to the city of light, Paris. Unlike their series (in which Mary-Kate and Ashley play themselves), in this latest venture they play fictional alter-egos in the form of superficial, boy-crazy, 13-year-olds. Their movie mom worries their world is too small and the girls are shipped off to Paris to visit their grandfather, the U.S. ambassador to France (yes, you read that right). He doesn't have much time for them, so he prepares a daily itinerary and forces an associate, an aspiring junior version of himself, to accompany the girls. But leave it to those wacky gals: within a few days, he's partying along with them and their newfound French beaus (played by young cutie patooties who have the worst French accents this side of Hee Haw). The movie is harmless enough, and despite a pervasive materialism in Olsen fare, loyalty and friendship are at the forefront. The French locations are gorgeous and enticing.

Switching Goals (1999)

Originally an ABC telefilm, Switching Goals comes to video. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen play super-identical twins who are actually total opposites. OK, it's not the freshest concept in the universe, but the teen divas (who also exec produce--as they did in their Passport to Paris) are an undeniable favorite with little girls all-over. Here, they're Sam, the athletic one, and Emma, the fashion-conscious one. Their indulgent dad (Eric Lutes) coaches a soccer team and their workaholic mother (Kathryn Greenwood) is a psychologist. Look for a switch, the truth to be revealed, and all to end well.

Our Lips Are Sealed (2000)

Well, look who grew up: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, once the sleepy-eyed preschoolers in the hit TV sitcom Full House, now wake to find themselves ready for their first day of high school. But the day doesn't shape up as ultra-fantastically as in their dreams. A series of bizarre circumstances (involving some supercharged catsup and a criminal with a "really gross zit") force them into a life-threatening situation in which only the FBI Witness Protection Program can help. It turns out that Mary-Kate and Ashley are their own worst enemies; the girls continually blow their cover until finally they're booted down under to the warm and sparkling recreation mecca of Sydney, Australia. Here the challenge to keep a secret takes second fiddle to the bigger challenges of fitting in with the popular group, learning Aussie lingo, and (apparently) changing into a new set of adorable clothes and accessories in almost every scene. Fans from 6 to 13 years old will probably enjoy the daffy antics of the Olsens, their adventures with cute boyfriends, and their ability to thwart the goofy bad guys. Plus, their acting ability--although crippled by yet another bubblehead script--continues to improve. To the parental crowd, the film plays somewhat like a New Age beach-blanket movie with plenty of surfer parties, flower-power fun, overblown story points, mild potty humor, and lots of belly buttons (LOTS of belly buttons). The movie also has some inexplicable references (to such grown-up phenomena as The Blair Witch Project and The Sopranos) that are bound to go way over the target audience's heads. Yet it's 90 minutes of absolutely clean fun that fans will eat up.

Winning London (2001)

Why is it that, in such a cynical age, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen aren't more wary of a backlash against adorableness? Just when pop culture's more cantankerous hounds were harboring hopes that the preeminent pair of sugar-and-spice girls would grow into a couple of gawky teenagers, they've proved themselves more lovable than ever with Winning London. Here, they're tasked with delivering semimature subject matter--straightening out stalled romances, stifling an overactive competitive streak--but they come off as self-assured as ever. The scene is set across the pond, where Chloe and Riley (Mary-Kate and Ashley), along with other members of their high school's Model U.N. team, are strutting their strategic mock peace-bringing stuff at an international competition. While Chloe captures the heart of an upper-crust English boy, Riley sets her sights on teammate Brian, who's clueless enough to call her kiddo. After a breakdown in her budding romance, Chloe, who's accustomed to winning, learns to chill out and consider the more sporting side of competitions. This being a Mary-Kate and Ashley vehicle, shopping for schoolgirl-swanky ensembles is involved, as is boogying with the boys at hot nightspots. Sightseeing excursions to Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace, among other places, feel thrown in as educational tidbits for parents' sake; better to buy this video purely for fun--Mary-Kate and Ashley may not be known as the brainiest pair, but London aside, with this movie they'll continue to win hearts.

Holiday in the Sun (2001)

Whisked away to the Bahamas in a private jet by their pilot dad, Mary- Kate and Ashley Olsen (playing twins Alex and Madison) are initially disappointed to be missing their class trip to Hawaii. (Just what high school do these girls attend?) But the 15-year-olds recover upon meeting up with their mom on the sunny tarmac, checking into their own suite at the Atlantis resort, and getting acquainted with some cute boys on the island. Parents may see this 88- minute movie as one long advertisement for the Paradise Island resort, with the constant mentioning of its name and endless showcasing of its attractions. But kids, particularly girls ages 7 to 12, will get a kick out of Alex's rivalry with the rich superwitch Brianna for marine worker Jordan's affections. Then there's the updated Cyrano storyline with Dad's business partner's son Griffen coaching dim-but-likable Scott on how to win over Madison. Throw in an antiquities smuggling subplot, some dolphin hugging, horseback riding, and wave running and you've got some fairly innocent entertainment augmented with frothy tunes by teen group up-and-comers Play, Empty Trash (featuring vocals by the twins), Tte American Girls, and Noogie.